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Neon bridge, a former symbol of community vision and pride

Neil Johnson
Published 5:00 p.m. CT Dec. 31, 2014

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The Long-Allen bridge, also known as the neon bridge, was a public symbol of a connection between Shreveport and Bossier City. Its lights are extinguished but could they come back?(Photo: Neil Johnson/ Special to The Times)Buy Photo

At a time of new beginnings on our calendar, where is there a more ironic symbol of old-hope-faded-meeting-new-possibilities in Shreveport-Bossier than the neon bridge?

Once iconic, now ironic.

Lit on the last night of 1993 before there was a single casino boat on the banks of the Red River, lit as a symbol of the strong connections between two cities and a beacon to both in-town-for-an-instant interstate travelers and locals who have never left Northwest Louisiana — the bridge's neon lights are extinguished.

The Long-Allen Bridge (it's official name) opened in 1933 and is now again only lit by streetlights.

Why?

First, the late artist Rockne Krebs, when choosing the medium of neon tubes, did not realize how fast the tubes would give way to vibration, road dust, weather and time. Sure, there was some money set aside to maintain and replace burned out tubes, but it was not near enough.

Krebs did not know when there is a traffic snarl on busy Interstate 20 over the river, traffic is rerouted to U.S. Highway 80. The Long-Allen Bridge (aka, Texas Street Bridge,) already busy, becomes almost a parking lot with its own traffic snarl, including thousands of 18 wheelers carrying millions of tons of anything and everything.

This kind of regular usage tends to shorten the life of a well-built bridge — and anything attached to it. Especially relatively delicate things like gas-filled glass tubes.

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Neil Johnson(Photo: Special to The Times)

First the lights on the four lower bridge supports close to the current of the Red River went dark. It was quickly determined replacing those tubes was too dangerous, and they would never be replaced. Of course, they could have been replaced and relit, but heed these two words: "Cost prohibitive." Then, of course, the rest of the tubes began to go out faster than expected.

I was a fan and supporter of the neon bridge from night one. I applauded Kreb's creativity and ambition. I saw it to be truly a work of art, and not, as way too many folks thought, mere neon decoration of the bridge.

Every steel girder was never to have its own neon tube. That was not the point. Krebs' vision was to transform the old bridge into a steel and neon sculpture, with the reflective water beneath it a continuation of the art. It was an after-dark glowing extravaganza.

The bridge became the only public symbol of the two cities, a symbol of a community with vision and pride. Go on. Name me another. Various campaigns helped push the symbol forward and the campaigns worked.

"Look at us!" many of us exclaimed, "We celebrate ourselves with a unique work of art stretching over and reflected in the wide river that does not separate us. The river connects us. The neon bridge is the symbol of that connection."

Whether you agree with that statement or not, the two cities have been, are, and always will be a connected community.

Much of the population, who first looked at the neon with disdain and as a symbol of wasted money, slowly came to accept it as "our" symbol. As time went on, not everyone accepted it, but most did. We came to own the neon bridge. It became a landmark of light.

But as three quarters of the neon eventually went dark, it just didn't look right. Shreveport recently decided to pull the plug on what was left. I really can't and don't blame the "Powers That Be."

So what's next? The PTB truly want to totally replace the neon with LED lighting that looks very much like neon, but is much more stable. But a new lighting installation is estimated to cost a cool half million dollars.

Dealbreaker? In Shreveport, there is a small budget issue of required water and sewage system replacement needs that may stick around longer than a war in Afghanistan.

What once was a colorful symbol of hope has been extinguished. The dark bridge has become a different kind of symbol.

What will it take to relight the symbol? A generous corporation, business or casino that understands this state of budgetary and public art affairs? A collaboration of the above? A major grant written by SRAC or City Hall? The city — cities — putting at least some money aside each year to eventually accumulate enough to bring the neon back? A crowd-sourced major Kickstarter program? A naming sponsor, or 250 individuals putting up $2,000 each? (Donors are free to contact the Shreveport Regional Arts Council.)

Nudge, nudge. Mayor Tyler? Are you listening?

But, most importantly, we have to first want to relight it. I'll go out on a steel bridge truss limb and say, I do.

2015 is when we get ambitious and creative, and then cooperative and effective. Let's light it up!

Neil Johnson is the owner of Neil Johnson Photography and is based in Shreveport-Bossier City. He can be reached at njohnson@njphoto.com.